Display devices



Oct. 13, 1964 F. 6. JORDAN 3,152,414

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Dec. 28, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANK 6.JORDAN Oct. 13, 1964 I F. (3. JORDAN 3,152,414

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Dec. 28, 1962 2 sheets sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK 6.JORDAN BY E. 6- 6g D J- x g @fltty.

United States Patent 3,152,414 DISPLAY DEVICES Frank G. Jordan, 3943Diver-say Ave, Chicago, ill. Filed Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 248,066 1Claim. (Cl. 40-34) This invention relates to improvements in displaydevices and is more particularly concerned with an animated displaydevice of a character that represents a very realistic display of, forexample, playing dice being intermittently thrown and coming to rest atirregular intervals for predetermined periods of time.

Known prior devices embodying structures intended to generate observerinterest fail to impart the appearance of realism owing primarily tocertain structural characteristics which tend to prevent or retard thespontaneity of uncertainty as to the precise position in which the dicecome to rest following successive operations.

In the present disclosure there is provided a pair of rotatable memberseach having loosely mounted thereon, for free rotation or spinning, aplurality of spinners each have a representation, such as for examplethat of a die. Novel means is provided to cause the rotatable members tobe positively rotated for predetermined periods of time at predeterminedintervals and wherein, during such rotation, the spinners spin abouttheir mountings. The drive means is rendered inoperative atpredetermined intervals during which time the momentum of the rotatablemembers causes said members and the spinners thereon to rotate freelybefore coming to rest. The device also includes novel means to controloperation of the drive means.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel displaydevice of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide novel drive means for operating the device.

Another object is to provide novel means to incrementally start and stopthe drive means.

Another object is to provide an intermittently driven device of acharacter having free spinning elements arranged on a rotatable memberand novel means to insure that the members and elements come to rest inpredetermined locations.

Another object is to provide a display device of the character describedwhich is wholly self contained, is not expensive to construct oroperater, is highly efiicient and satisfactory in operation, verypleasing to observe and which is realistic.

The structure and means by which the above noted and other objects andadvantages of the invention are attained will be described in thefollowing specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device with the top wall of its housingbroken away, showing the rotatable members in idle disengaged condition.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the spinners,showing its mounting pin in section.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational View of one of the rotatable members asviewed substantially along line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged detail plan view of the drive means,showing the parts in driving positions.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on a reduced scale, ofthe drive means as viewed substantially along line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view of the switch control mechanism, takensubstantially on line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating an exemplaryembodiment of the display device, and particularly to FIG. 1, the devicepreferably is enclosed in a housing ll including a front wall 12 havinga pair of circular openings therein in each of which is located arotatable member in the form of discs 13, 13a, each mounting a pluralityof spinners 14 on their front faces. The spinners M- are preferablyalike and each may be representative of an ornamental display of anyselected character. Preferably, and for purposes of this disclosure,each spinner (best shown in FIG. 3) is constructed of thin sheetmaterial such as metal, and each may have the configuration and bear theimprint of a representation of three faces of a die. Each spinner has acentrally located triangular hole 15 through which a mounting pin 16 ofa size smaller than said hole extends. It should be apparent at thistime that when a spinner comes to rest, after having been spun in amanner and by means to be presently described, the pin 16 will seat inan apex of the triangular hole. As shown the hole is so related to thedisplay that a representation of one face of the die will always beuppermost when the spinner is at rest.

The disc 13 is mounted firmly on a shaft 17 journalled for free rotationin a bracket 18. The shaft also mounts firmly a flywheel 19 having afriction band or tread 21 on its perimeter.

The disc 13:; is mounted firmly on a shaft 22 journalled for freerotation in a bracket 23. A flywheel 24 is keyed onto the shaft 22 and alight compression spring 25 interposed between said flywheel and one legof bracket 23 normally urges said flywheel into substantially theposition shown in FIG. 2. This flywheel has a chamfered peripheral edge26. The flywheel 19 and the flywheel 24 are of substantially the samediameter and are of a size as to allow their peripheral margins tooverlap one another slightly for a purpose to be explained presently.

The flywheels l9 and 24, and of course discs 13 and 13a, connectedtherewith, are adapted to be rotated in unison when the device is inoperation. For this purpose, an electric drive motor 27 is providedrearwardly of the flywheels i9, 24. This motor includes a driven shaft28 and is of a type that has its shaft thrust in a forward directionwhile the motor is operating but which returns to its initial positionwhen the motor is idle. The motor shaft 23 carries a friction roller 29adapted, when the motor is operating as shown in FIG. 5, to engageperipheral edge 26 of flywheel 24 and urge said flywheel forwardlyagainst the action of spring 25 into frictional engagement withperipheral friction band 21 on flywheel w. When the motor is idle, theparts return to their initial positions and the flywheels and theirrelated discs rotate freely until stopped by loss of inertia.

It is proposed to cause intermittent operation of motor 27 and to thisend a 60 cycle electric motor 30 is provided. This motor has on itsshaft 31, an eccentric 32, best shown in FIG. 7, provided with a seriesof peripheral notches 33 and intermediate lands 34. A normally openmicroswitch 35, connected in the electric circuit to drive motor 27, isprovided with an actuating arm 36 having a roller 37 engaged by lands 34for opening said switch. It should be evident that during operation ofmotor 39, the eccentric is constantly driven to intermittently open andthen close the circuit to drive motor 27. In the present disclosure, thelands 34 are of uniform length whereas the notches are of differentlengths, although any other pattern of sequence may be utilized. As aconsequence, drive motor 27 is operated intermittently for like periodsof time and is idle for variable time periods. This manner of driveenhances the observer interest in the display as will now be madeapparent.

When discs 13, 13a are rotated either positively or while free-wheeling,the spinners 14 thereon are spun about their mounting pins 16. Thisspinning is effected J by the arrangement of the spinners adjacent tothe peripheral edge of their respective discs (FIG. 3) in such manner asto cause the corners 14a thereof to strike against respective fingers 38on the front face of housing front wall 12 during disc rotation. Thefingers 38 preferably are fabricated from fine stiif wire in the form ofWhat is commonly termed a cat-whisker.

When rotation of discs 13, 1.3a ceases, the spinners will come to restwith a fiat face representation of each spinner disposed upwardly forrealistic appearance and one spinner on each disc will be positionedvertically above the axis of its mounting disc. This positioning isaccomplished by novel indexing means now to be described. The indexingmeans is alike with respect to each disc 13, 13a. As best shown in FIG.4, it comprises a plurality of mutually spaced pins 41, in this instanceone for each spinner, arranged above the disc axis and radiallypositioned to correspond to the positioning of the spinners. These pinsare engaged by an escapement roller 42 carried on a flexible arm 43secured preferably to the floor of the housing and provided with tensionadjustment means in the form of a stop screw 44.

Additional selective stop means can be provided in the form of sets ofpermanent magnets 45, 46 circumferentially spaced about the periphery ofdiscs 13, 13a. These magnets have their poles arranged so that magnets45 of one set, which are carried on the discs, are attracted to onemagnet 46a of the other set carried by the housing Wall and are repelledby magnets 46b and 46c of said other set.

Although applicant has described an exemplary embodiment of his displaydevice in detail it should be apparent that the device depicted anddescribed may embody a variety of modifications in its constructionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

A display device comprising a pair of parallel shafts, rotatable membersmounted firmly one on each shaft, a plurality of spinners mountedrotatably on the peripheral margin of each rotatable member, a fly wheelon each shaft, said fly wheels being normally disengaged one from theother, an electric motor including a driven shaft, means on said motorshaft for engaging the periphery of one of said fly Wheels duringoperation of the motor and for moving said fly wheels into peripheralengagement with each other whereby both rotatable member shafts arerotated, a normally open switch in the electric circuit to said motor,means to intermittently close said switch to intermittently operate themotor and start rotation of the rotatable member shafts, and means forengagement by the spinners for imparting rotation thereto duringrotation of the rotatable members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS489,027 McDonald Jan. 3, 1893 636,508 Elckershott Nov. 7, 1899 1,749,444Rae Mar. 3, 1930 2,215,054 Regan Sept. 17, 1940 2,334,440 Ragan Nov. 16,1943 2,527,803 Fleak Oct. 31, 1950 3,034,790 Breitenstein May 15, 1962FOREIGN PATENTS 11,602 Great Britain 1895 317,925 Italy May 28, 1934

